Paper Follies ~ A Bit of Whimsy

{i am here}

 

{i am here and i will remain true to who i am}

{i am here and i will not be detoured into unhappiness by others who are unhappy}

{i am here and i will be confident in my abilities}

{i am here and i will not be wrangled into games of the head by others who can only play}

i am here and i strive to be:

honest

loyal

fair

loving

lighthearted

serious

hopeful

kind

quirky

in motion

dreamy

{i am here and i will remain true to who i want to be}

{a midsummer eve's picnic}

 

The cool grass embraced my toes as I took kendalee's hand to join the picnic in progress. {She understood the delay, of course, as a trip across the "pond" takes time.}

I tucked my garden flowers into the already bursting bouquet ~ a rose, a pincushion and some white and purple lavender ~ as we wandered to the picnic goodies.

 

 

For me, a Greek-inspired chicken sandwich (chicken marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and thrown on the barbeque, wrapped in Middle Eastern flatbread with fresh Persian cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, red-leaf lettuce, red onion, and Tzatziki ) alongside some golden potatoes (sauteed with onions, Herbs de Provence and topped with a sprinkle of  Feta).

And a little later, a piece of Green Cake ~ picnic comfort food, if you will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Green Cake*

1 ~ 21.5 oz (or so) lemon cake mix

1 ~ 3 oz package Lime Jell-o mix

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup water

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Cool and poke holes in top.

Pour over frosting {2 cups powdered sugar mixed with juice of 2 lemons}

Sweet, sweet and not light on the calories, but a little bit satisfies delightfully!

 

We picnicked until late in the evening ~past the sprinkles of raindrops, beyond the stretch of the dusky rainbow ~ sometimes laughing, sometimes whispering our secret hopes, sometimes silent, but always happy at the midsummer's gathering of friends flung  across this wondrous world.

 

Do visit {dance of a painted lady} ~ meet some new friends, gather some recipes, and leave with a smile on your face and a touch of cool grass on your toes. 

Yet

 

Alone, yet rooted.

 

Simple, yet complex.

 

Plain, yet beautiful.

 

Here, yet there.

 

 

Channeling the Breck Girl

Some people have asked, based on the previous self-portrait, if I have cut my hair.

The short answer: no.

 Self-portrait #2, I don't think it captured me and definately didn't capture the images that I wanted it to, but working through this visual journal about building a mystery.

Shadowboxing

Self Portrait #2 ~ reminding me of the benefits of shadowboxing ~ getting the muscles ready, maintaining the rhythm of creating,  and visualizing what it might actually look like if I do art 'in the ring' ~ "swaying around because I don't know when I'm going to make my move."

Meditating

"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

{Buddha}

No the world doesn't feel perfect. With everything that is so unjust and unfair, atrocious and offensive, it can feel harsh to swallow this teaching. But if I really center myself, quiet the thoughts that race and just be , I begin to catch a little glimmer of the edge of what this thought means.  To be still in my heart, does not mean to not act. To recognize the perfection of the world, does not mean to ignore the imperfections of mankind. To laugh at the sky, does not mean to withhold tears for the earth.

{Self-Portrait Challenge ~ GeT yOur ShiNe oN}

The Wide World's Joy

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

{Self Portrait Challenge: GeT yOuR shInE oN}